Ellie Crowley
by blackandyellow26
Summary: Ellie has always thought she was normal. Well, aside from being an orphan. When she turns eleven and discovers a whole new world of possibilities, a whole new range of abilities, and a real family, what could go wrong? Except, of course, The Chamber of Secrets being opened. Lots of OCs, but tried to remain as cannon as possible.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Ok, this is my new story! I have read a lot of fics about this already, but I havent really felt like any of them could actually happen. Reviews are much appreciated! I hope you enjoy!**

 _Chapter One: The Discovery_

 **Ellie**

Ellie had never expected magic to exist. Yet it did. The evidence was right in front of her.

"A witch?" She asked skeptically. "How could I be a witch?"

The old, strict looking lady, who claimed to be Professor McGonagall, sitting across from her nodded, but very slowly. She kept staring at Ellie as if she couldn't believe her eyes.

"A witch?" Kirsten said. "Don't they ride on brooms and have large warts? Because, in that case, I can assure you that Ellie has never done any of those."

Professor McGonagall continued to stare. Suddenly, as if woken out of a trance, blinked and sat up. She looked concerned, but began to talk.

"Have you ever done anything strange or mysterious, that no one can explain, when ever you feel incredibly emotional?"

Ellie sat for a moment. There was that one time that this dog in another foster home (before she was adopted) tore apart her favorite stuffed animal. It was torn to shreds but had somehow mended itself.

There was another time, too, where she was in a train, and had to use the loo her very badly, but refused to use to use the ones on the train. The next stop on the train just happened to be at her stop, though the estimated time wasn't until a half hour later.

Very slowly, the reality struck on Ellie.

"Yes." She managed to croak out. Professor McGonagall nodded. Kirsten, however still looked skeptical.

"I'm sorry, but I just can't believe a stranger that just walked into my home."

"Do you still need evidence?" Professor McGonagall asked. She pulled out her stick and gave it a wave. Suddenly, where a woman was standing before, was now a cat, with black spectacle markings around her eyes. Kirsten took a sharp intake of breath.

As the cat became a woman again, Ellie mouth dropped lower, and lower.

They talked for about fifteen more minutes. The entire time, Professor McGonagall kept giving Ellie odd looks.

"Miss Crowley, what do you know about your parents?" She asked. Ellile was taken aback. She never got questioned about that directly after meeting someone.

"Erm..." She started out nervously, "I know they both died pretty soon after I was born, and that I was deposited at the home on November 1."

"That's all?" Professor McGonagall asked. "You don't know their names?" Ellie shook her head.

"Oh, my." McGonagall said. She glanced at the clock on the wall. "Is that the time already? Come along, we must get to Diagon Alley before the shops close." She glanced at Kirsten. "It is okay that I am taking her shopping, right?" She asked Kirsten. Kirsten, still slightly shocked by the whole ordeal, threw her hands up.

"Take her wherever you want, Professor," She said wearily.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: I've been working on this for a while, so I have lots of chapters already. I keep trying to pace myself, but I'm so excited. Anyways, I hope you like it! Thanks for reading! Review!**

 **Ellie**

September rolled around the corner. Sooner than Ellie expected, it was time for her to board the Hogwarts express. Complete with her new secondhand robes, her gigantic amounts of books by Gilderoy Lockhart, and her trunk full of dozens of other odd things, she stepped aboard. She found an empty compartment and sighed.

Ellie hadn't really given much thought to the train ride. She was more concerned with Hogwarts. She figured she might as well make the best of it, and pulled out one of the textbooks.

Some ten minutes later, a girl with just slightly oranger hair than Ellie stuck her head into Ellie 's apartment door. She looked like she would be in her first year, just like Ellie.

"You haven't, by chance, seen a black haired and red haired boy, have you?" The girl asked. Ellie looked up. "Blimey!" The girl gasped.

"What?" Ellie said.

"Your eyes..." She said, staring.

"I am aware that they are green, thank you." Ellie said. The girl looked a little taken aback.

"No, I'm sorry, it's just..." She drifted off. Ellie, aware that her last comments might have sound rather rude, stood up.

"I'm Ellie Crowley, first year." She smiled. "You are...?"

"Oh, right, yes." She returned the smile. "Ginny Weasley, first year as well. You don't reckon what house you'll be in?" She gushed on. "I'll bet I'll be in Gryffindor, my whole family's in it."

"Oh, umm," Ellie started. "I'm not very sure. I'm Muggleborn, err, I think, so I'm not sure..." She then realized what she had said, and blushed. "I mean, I am Muggleborn, so I'm not sure." Ginny gave her an odd look.

"Okay, well... Have you seen the two boys I mentioned earlier?" Ellie shook her head. "Well, I'll be off, then. See you when we get to Hogwarts." She left.

Twenty minutes later, yet another girl busted into the compartment.

"I'm Hermione Granger." She sat down. "What book are you reading?" Ellie looked up. Hermione gasped.

"Ummm..." Ellie began, "Hogwarts, A History?"

"Oh, I love that book!" Hermione said, still gapping. "What's your name?"

"Ellie Crowley, first year." Ellie said with a much more confidence.

"Neat." Hermione went on. "You haven't seen a red head and boy with glasses, have you?" Ellie shook her head. Hermione looked worried.

"Right then," she said. "Thanks anyways. Enjoy your book." She ran off.


	3. Chapter 3

**Ellie**

The rest of the ride went rather smooth. This gave her plenty of time to think. Her life hadn't necessarily been easy. None of the homes she had been in had been particularly bad. Making friends had never been her strong point, so as she moved from school to school, she didn't make much of an effort. Even when she finally understood that she would be staying with Kirsten permanently, she still hadn't tried. But, by no means, did that mean she wasn't nice. She wasn't the typical moody foster kid you normally read about. She just didn't push people away. She was always polite.

It was all part of her philosophy. She learned a long time ago that worrying and arguing got you nowhere. She had learned to just go with the flow. In fact, she was practicing her philosophy right now. She tried very hard not to think that this train wasn't actually going to Hogwarts, but an institute for mental children.

When the trolley came around, Ellie politely declined, she didn't have much spending money.

Finally, the train lurched to a stop. She started to get off.

"Firs' years! Firs' years! O'er here please!" Called a very, very large man. Ellie followed.

"Get in the boats. Go on! Get in!" Ellie got in the boat and held on tight. She didn't like boats.

"Hi." Ginny, the girl on the train appeared. " Ellie, right?" Ellie smiled.

"Yes." Ginny sat down in the boat. "Did you ever find those boys?" Ellie questioned. Ginny turned pale.

"No. Hermione and I searched everywhere. The red haired one is my older brother, Ron, you see. The black haired one is Harry, his best friend." Ellie thought this was odd. Didn't all the students arrive by the Hogwarts Express?

All of the sudden, the boats began to lurch forward. Ellie gripped the boat even tighter. She decided she better get used to random objects doing things magically. Five minutes later, Hogwarts came into view.

Ellie had to admit: it was pretty stunning.

Twenty minutes later, they were in the entry hall. McGonagall had just explained the sorting process our in the entry hall.

"Merlin..." Ginny breathed beside Ellie. It was a large hall, with floating candles. There were a ton of students, all chatting at four long tables.

The sorting hat began to sing as they walked up to the top of the hall. Ellie was barely listening, though. She was just staring. She wondered what house she would be in. Certainly not Slytherin, she thought. She was Muggleborn. Or was she? She didn't know anything about her parents. All she had was a locket with an L and an E. She had never told anyone about it. Her parents hadn't even named her- the orphanage that she had been off at had simply been Crowley House. She figured her name had something to do with the locket.

She wouldn't be Gryffindor, positively, she had never considered herself brave. Ravenclaw, was a no, for she had never wanted knowledge just for the sake of it. She was smart, but only just smart enough to get good marks. Maybe Hufflepuff, but she wasn't loyal. She had never had anything to be loyal to.

Panic suddenly started to fill her. What if she didn't get sorted? What if she wasn't a witch? What if it was all a mistake? As soon as the negative thoughts started to fill her, "Crowley, Ellie" was called.

She was suddenly aware that she was shaking as she made her way up to the stool on which the hat sat. She nervously put it on.

 _'What do we have here? Oh my, this is interesting. Your parents had a huge secret, but you do not know. Alas, you'll found it out while at Hogwarts_.' The hat paused. ' _A troubled past... Oh my._ _Slytherin_ _would be good to you... You can do great things..._ _Hufflepuff_ _would be good, too. You are clever... Of course, mother like yours...But you have an abundance of courage, and that will be most valued in. . . GRYFFINDOR!_ ' The hat shouted to the hall. The Gryffindor table erupted into cheers.

Ellie walked to the table, feeling numb. She had just learned more abort her parents from a _hat_ than any person had ever been able to tell her. Her mum had been smart. Maybe she had been in Ravenclaw. Her parents had a secret, also. She wondered what that could be...

"Oh, hello!" Hermione, one of the girls from the train greeted her. Ellie barely registered that she had sat down. She immediately sat up.

"Oh, erm, hello..." Ellie responded.

"I believe we met on the train? Ellie,right? Is that short for Elizabeth? I have always thought that was nice name. What's your middle name? Mine is Jean, but I don't think that's a very good middle name." She finally stopped talking and looked at Ellie expectantly.

"Oh, erm... Kate?" Ellie said. "And Ellie is my real name. I'm not an Elizabeth."

"Kate? How pleasant." Hermione said. Ellie shook her head. "Why did your parents name you Ellie? I never thought that was a common nickname for Elizabeth."

"Oh... A locket I have... No parents..." Ellie managed to mumble, looking down at her shoes.

"No parents?" Hermione asked her after a while. Her brain was working, Ellie could tell. Ellie felt her cheeks burn. She hated the pity people felt for her. Hermione, however, surprised her. "Well, that's no matter. One of my best friends, Harry, has no parents." Ellie looked at her.

"Really?" She asked. She had never been to a school with more than one orphan.

"Yes." Hermione said. "Any idea how your parents...?"

"Oh, um, they died when I was only a few months old. I don't know much else. Except for a locket. It's pretty much blank, scratched out, and worn, but I think I can make out and L and a E." Ellie was surprised at herself. Never had she spoken so openly to a stranger.

Hermione stared at her forever. Ellie looked at her for a moment, then looked away, getting nervous. After what felt like hours, Hermione broke her trance.

"Oh, look! Ginny's getting sorted!" Hermione pointed out. Ellie turned to look. There was Ginny, placing the old, battered hat on her head. She looked just as nervous as Ellie had been. No sooner had the hat touched her than it shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Ellie clapped along with the rest of the Gryffindors. Ginny slid onto the bench beside Ellie. She looked at Hermione.

"No word on Ron yet?" She asked. Hermione shook her head.

"Congratulations, Ginny!" Called two identical red heads. Ginny waved weakly.

"Are those your brothers?" Ellie asked.

"Yes. Two of six." Ginny answered, sounding tired.

"Six!" Ellie said. "Have you got any sisters?"

"No." She answered glumly. "Plus they are all older than me." Ellie tried to imagine having six older brothers.

"Blimey." Just then, Dumbledore, the headmaster, began to speak.

While Dumbledore was speaking, Hermione continued to stare at Ellie. Ellie tried to read her expression. It wasn't fear, it wasn't curiosity. It wasn't disbelief. But it was a combination of all three.

Suddenly, a very large amount of food appeared on the plates. Ellie jumped in her seat. After they finished eating, they began to walk up to the dormitories. Gryffindors were up in the tower. Ellie stared at all the moving pictures.

"Haven't you seen portraits before?" Ginny asked.

"Not moving ones. Except for on a television." Ellie replied.

"What's a television?" They abruptly stopped in front of a large portrait of a fat lady. Standing in front of it, were a tall, red headed boy, and black haired boy with round glasses.

" _There_ you are! Where have you _been?_ The most _ridiculous_ rumors—someone said you'd been expelled for a flying _car—"_ Hermione screeched. The boy with the black hair, Harry, turned towards them. Ellie gasped. His huge, green, almond shaped eyes stared directly into hers. Her huge, green, almond shaped eyes.

They stared at each other for a moment. Ron, the red headed boy, seemed oblivious to them.

"We weren't _expelled."_ He assured her as he turned around. Harry continued gaping at me. Ellie continued gaping at him.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Ok, I really need to stop. Heres another point of view! The last three have been of just Ellie. Happy reading! Remember to enjoy!**

 **Harry**

Harry tried to sleep that night. He really did. But that first year's eyes kept haunting him.

Once he was positive that Ron, Seamus, and Dean were all asleep, he quietly slid out of bed and opened his trunk. In there very bottom, were his two most prized possessions, his Invisibility Cloak, and the family photo album of him and his parents that Hagrid had given to him last term.

As he flipped through the pages he noticed things he hadn't before. There was a gap in the dates. A nine-month gap.

Surely, though, surely this didn't mean anything.

The next day, Harry seemed to drift through. He barely commented when Snape deducted points for him dropping his cauldron, or when Filch accused him of setting off dung bombs in the corridor.

He knew that Hermione and Ron noticed. That night, they cornered him.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Hermione questioned, seeming concerned.

"Nothing," Harry squeaked out. "Hey, listen, were you paying attention during Flitwick's lecture? I managed to get most of the syllabus down but—"

"Harry! Are you sure you're ok?" Hermione asked yet again.

"Yeah, mate, you seem a little distraught." Ron added.

"I'm fine!" Harry said. "Just beginning of the year stress…" Hermione raised her eyebrows.

"It has nothing to do with the similarities between you and Ellie?" She asked.

"No!" Harry said. He could feel his blood rising to his head.

"Listen- Harry-" Hermione started. "She is an orphan- just like you." She paused. "She also has a locket. The locket is engraved with an L and an E."

"These aren't just a coincidence, either, mate." Ron said.

"Well, they could be." Said Hermione. "What Ron meant to say is that he saw your photo album just sitting there, and in the photos, there was a nine month-"

"I'm fine, Hermione. I'd be better if you and Ron weren't going through my stuff." Harry said curtly. "I'll be going now." With that he picked up his stuff and walked away the Gryffindor Common Room.


	5. Chapter 5

**Ellie**

For the first two days, Ellie floated through class. It was all interesting. She had never given school this much attention. She actually was making friends.

Agnes Blaylock was Ellie's fellow Gryffindor. She was confident and friendly. Her blonde hair fell to the middle of her back and her eyes were a warm, inviting brown. Her skin was still tan from the summer. Ellie thought it her completion was pitiful. She didn't have cute freckles, or toasted skin. She was just pale.

The other girls in her dorm were nice, too. Alexis Walters was an athletic looking girl, and very loud and obnoxious. She had shoulder length, golden blonde hair and blue eyes. She was a muggle-born who wouldn't shut up about field hockey. Demelza Robins was nice. She mostly kept to herself, sometimes talking to Agnes and Ellie during meals.

Perhaps the oddest of the bunch was Ginny Weasley. She had seemed fine at the Opening Feast. Now, whenever someone would ask her a question she would barely squeak out the answer then run off. She seemed terrified of everyone, very shaken. Sometimes she would disappear for an hour at a time.

The teachers were okay. Some of them were odd. Especially the older ones. In Professor Flitwick's first class, he nearly had a heart attack.

"Blaylock, Agnes?" He called out.

"Here, sir." She replied.

"Oh, yes, you're sitting right here, next to," he peered at his list, "Crowley, Ellie?" Ellie smiled. Agnes had seemed nice in the dorm.

"Right here, Professor." Ellie said. He turned around.

"Merlin!" He gasped. "Crowley? Your last name is Crowley? Are you sure?"

"Er, quite sure, professor." She answered. His relentless staring was a bit unnerving.

Professor Flitwick shook his head. "Of course you are, of course… Dye, Alva?"

Agnes turned towards Ellie.

"Bit odd, isn't he?" She asked, smiling.

"It's not just him. It's been happening ever since I got my letter." Ellie smiled. Then she started to get nervous. The only person she had really talked to had been Hermione Granger. _' My social skills really are pitiful',_ she thought.

"Why are you so tan?" Ellie asked rather abruptly. She immediately blushed. When she was nervous she tended to blurt out random things.

"I spent the summer in Greece. It really was quite nice." Agnes looked at Ellie. "Did you go anywhere?" Ellie started to sweat. The only place she had ever gone on vacation to was London.

"No. Are you muggle born?" ' _Oh. Great.'_ Ellie thought. ' _Now she'll think you're prejudice'._

"No. My dad works for International Magical Law Enforcement. He is almost never home." Her smile faltered a bit at that. "My mum doesn't work. What are you?"

"Oh." Ellie said. "I'm muggle born. I think."

"How can you not know?" Agnes asked.

"I was dropped off at an orphanage at two months," Ellie said. "Look, Professor Flitwick is talking." Whenever Agnes asked about her parents after that, Ellie would ignore her, or change the subject. Soon after, Agnes just stopped asking.

Most of Ellie's teachers were acting strange. The weirdest, however, would have to be Professor Snape.

Ellie and Agnes had just settled into their seats in the dark, steamy dungeons when Snape burst into the room.

"Potions is a peculiar art. Only the brightest and most talented will succeed," He paused and looked at the Slytherins. "You will learn to cure the most terrible of diseases, bring the greatest glory, and even stop death in its tracks." Ellie swallowed. This sounded increasingly more difficult.

"Not the most cheerful of folks, is he?" Agnes whispered from Ellie's side. Ellie tried to stifle a giggle.

"You can master this, but only through hard work and determination. Those who disrupt class," He looked at Agnes and Ellie, "will be punished. Ten points from Gryffindor, Miss…?" Agnes and Ellie both went pale.

"Blaylock, sir." Agnes said without stuttering.

"And you?" Snape sneered, looking at Ellie.

"Er… Crowley, Professor." Ellie peered into his black, beady eyes.

As soon as she looked at him, his face went pale.

"I think that you have learned enough for today. We might try again tomorrow, when Blaylock and," He paused. His hands were shaking. "And Crowley decide to put faith in their studies."

Back in the common room, all the first years were ecstatic that they got out of class within the first five minutes of class.

Ellie was not stupid. She knew that the teachers, and Hermione, Ginny, Ron, and Harry all knew something she didn't. She needed answers. At dinner that night, she chased down Hermione.

"Hermione!" She shouted. Hermione looked at her. "Have you ever seen Snape get nervous before? Like all pale and shaky?" Hermione looked surprised. Ron Weasley, Ginny's brother, was right beside her.

"You saw Snape pale and shaky?" He asked. He sounded amazed. "I'll bet it was amazing."

"You mean he doesn't normally do that?" Ellie asked. Hermione shook her head.

"Never."

"Oh." Ellie said. That night she lay in her bed and thought of the peculiar things about her. She was a witch, who could do magic. That was obvious. She was an orphan. She looked weird, or at least she thought she did. Her eyes were big. Her green eyes.

She sat straight up. She had just realized something very terrifying. Someone else in the same tower shared the exact same features as her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hermione**

"Harry, please." Hermione insisted. "Please just talk to us." Harry didn't answer. He just stared

at the wall. Hermione sighed. She really didn't want to do this. However, it had been two weeks since term had started, and Harry still hadn't mentioned Ellie.

"Harry," She started. "I didn't want to have to do this." She paused. "If you don't tell McGonagall our suspicions, I will." Harry turned around and looked at her. He blinked.

"Listen, Hermione, I have to go to detention with Lockhart. I'll see you afterwards." With that, he turned and left.

Hermione, completely heated at her friend's annoyingness, turned to Ron.

"Well, you've been rather quiet!" She snapped at him.

"Hermione, you've been at it for two weeks. Just drop it. There is always a chance that you're wrong, you know." Ron said. "Think about how you would feel if you had never had a family, and all of a sudden you found out that you had a little sister."

"Of course I have thought about how he felt!" She exploded. "But he would feel better if he knew. He needs closure! People need closure!"

"Just drop it, okay?" Ron said. "We have enough to worry about."


End file.
